And Then He Came
by Helin
Summary: A new Stabler enters the world. EO and a lot of fluff. This is the first part of a 'series' - all my stories connect.
1. Chapter 1

"Oh my Lord!" the nurse exclaimed, clasping her hands over her mouth and sharing worried looks with the two other nurses in the room, when Elliot's wife was wheeled in at the OR. Olivia was exhausted, but thrilled. Her hair was damp and her eyes red from crying. "I have a boy", she whispered, the tears in her eyes glowing. 

----

The contractions had come fast that morning, but they had decided to wait at home until they would get 'serious' so they took a seat on the couch, Olivia stroking her stomach, trying to cool herself and the baby down. Elliot just sat back and let her rest against his chest, knowing from experience that in times like these his job was to support his woman and nothing else. No advice, nothing, just be there. He didn't have much time to think further about it until his wife tensed up. Being a first-timer Olivia had no idea what to expect when it came to the pains - reading about it isn't exactly the same as actually feeling it, she learnt. But when the contractions suddenly came only five minutes apart, Elliot sensed they had to hurry. He'd helped her into the front seat to their car and then sped off to the nearest hospital. He watched his wife breath harshly. When the deep breathing turned into loud moans and later screams he started panicking. It hadn't been like this with his others... The lights turned red.

He sped off the intersection and was about to change gear when Olivia moaned "I think it's coming..." Alright, daddy Elliot had done this before, but never like this, not alone, not in his car, and again, not alone. Looking over a his wife, they exchanged looks of worry and fear. _Damnit God! Why are you doing this to her?!_ Tears streamed down Olivia's cheeks and he could feel himself becoming even paler than when he'd started the car. He quickly stopped the car, got out and opened the door to the passenger seat, then gently put the seat down so his wife could rest somewhat comfortably against the chair.

"Want me to help you remove the..." he started. She closed her eyes and nodded.

He picked up his cellphone and dialed _911_, stroking Olivias thumb while holding her hand waiting for an operator to pick up. The seconds felt like hours, but finally he got connection to someone at the central. "My-wife's-in-labour-she's-gonna-have-it-in-the-car-it's-her-first-time-what-should-I-do?!" Elliot yelled, feeling his hand being squeezed tightly. "Alright, take a deep breath. Even if you're not feeling like it at the moment, you have to become calm and focused, you don't wanna scare mommy-to-be, OK? Help is on the way, just try to stay calm and don't stress your wife."

"Yeah."

"Can you see---"

The conversation was cut off by a wail from his wife, obviously experiencing another contraction. Elliot put the phone down and, while gently stroking Olivia's right leg, looked down in between her legs, seeing the head of the baby starting to emerge.

"The baby's coming, I can see the head", he yelled into his cellphone.

"OK, listen to me and THEN put the phone down. You're going to have to catch the baby, support the head and then keep it warm for a few minutes. Don't worry about cutting the cord, just focus on your child. If she can, tell her to breath through the contractions, not push. The ambulance will be there within five minutes."

Before the operator had finished the sentence the phone was thrown into the backseat. He hurriedly placed a kiss on Olivia's forehead and looked deep into her eyes.

"No, I don't want to..." she cried, gripping his hand in hers.

They both knew it didn't matter what they wanted - the baby wanted out and it was about to happen at that moment. He firmly placed his hands on her thighs and opened her up. Soon... Suddenly she started to wince and he braced himself, ready to be the strong husband and guide the love of his life through this very new experience.

"Breathe! Pant through it, Liv!"

Olivia screeched and tried to relax even though her whole body told her to push. Hard. All while being terribly distracted by the ripping pains inside of her. Blood had already started to sip out of her, but she didn't know that - she was the one feeling the pain and all Elliot could do was to stand by and watch it. What he saw was amazing, his child making its way into his and Olivia's world. Their darkhaired child, he now knew.

Exhausted Olivia slumped back against the seat, tiny beads of sweat streaming down her face. _God, she's so beautiful..._ Her face then contorted and the message was clear. Now.

She let out a blood curling scream as the head emerged quickly and literally tore her apart. The shoulders could easily slip out without being guided, meeting little resistance. Catching his son, THEIR son, in his hands Elliot looked up at his wife and smiled.

"It's a boy. A boy, Liv!"

She gave him a weak smile.

He was perfect. She was perfect. He had a perfect family. He carefully placed the crying baby in his pale wife's arms and hung up his phone.

Elliot could see the paramedics running up to them, but even though he knew he should probably feel relieved, he just sighed and looked down at his crimson stained shirt and then at his wife, her eyes closed, but her arms protectively holding their boy. Their love child had entered the world, but at that moment he just felt drained.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hi mommy!" he smiles as she tiredly opens her eyes.

Eliott is sitting in a chair right in front of her, holding a small bundle that she immediately knows is their baby. Their baby boy. He slowly rises from his seat and takes a few steps to get to the side of the bed she's in. While getting stitched up in the OR she fell asleep and apparently her husband let her sleep for a while. For that she's both grateful and disappointed. As he lifts their son and places him in her arms an excited and nervous smile appears and settles as the baby is comfortably resting by her chest.

"He's beautiful." she whispers.

As she looks up into her husband's eyes she sees that he's crying. Happy tears. Or is it?

"You OK?"

He sniffles. "God, Liv. You're asking _me_?" he chuckles and wipes away the fluid from his left cheek.

"I am." she says.

"Yeah?"

He doesn't believe her, she can tell.

"I am, El. It was hard, yes, but…." He sighs. "But I'm OK now."

That doesn't't seem to help.

"I was scared. I don't know if you noticed, but I was. And I saw you…" he starts rambling. "I was so worried…"

"Honey, you know what? Neither of us is ever gonna forget this and I don't want to neither", she says, looking down at their baby. "I'm not gonna lie, we'll probably need some therapy to get back to where we used to be, but I don't wanna focus on that now. We'll talk about it later, OK?"

He nods.

"Are we still going for… You know, the name we talked about?" he asks as he puts his hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah. His name is David." she replies, letting her emotions free and lets the tears fall again. Neither of them are used to cry in front of the other, although it's happened before. Now neither seem to think it's unfitting. Eliott carefully sits down at the edge of the hospital bed.

"I love you", he whispers.

Her eyes looks into his.

"I love you, too." she barely has the time to reply before accepting a kiss.

And they continue to watch their son. The baby they made and will love forever.


	3. Chapter 3

He was going to tell her. He'd been thinking about it for a while now and even though he knew it was too soon he wanted her to know what he wanted, what he hoped they could plan for. He sighed, made a left turn and soon spotted their small white house. As he pushed the button on his key to lock the car he was forming the words in his head. One, two, three, four steps and he pushed the door open.

"Hello?" She forgot to lock the door. Again. He couldn't't believe someone who had lived in NYC practically her whole life would forget to lock the door. It was important, for their safety… Gosh, he had never been like this with Kathy and the kids, but with Olivia it was different. And David.

"We're in here", she calls to him from the living room.

He puts the Chinese take out on the counter and makes his way to greet his little family and finds both of them on the couch; Olivia on her back with her head on one of the armrests and David on her chest. Dr Phil. Poor baby. And he means both of them.

"How was your day?" she smiles as he reaches down to her level and gently kisses her.

David looks happy to see him and he slowly picks him up. Yes, definitely. No doubt. He'll tell her later, but today. Tonight.

"Good. I… Are you hungry?"

"Yeah. You went to Dragon Palace, right?"

He nods and she gets up from her place and he follows with their 8 month old son in is arms. She grabs two plates from the cabinet and David's yellow sippy cup from the hook underneath it and fills it with water before placing it on the kitchen table in front of the high chair Elliott's placed their son in. As he puts food on their plates she tells him about the cute little jeans she bought for David and about the red Yankees cap she might buy tomorrow.

"I'll show them to you later, El. I got them at H&M so they're not too expensive", she finishes and smiles at David and carefully touches his cheek.

"You know I don't care about the money, Liv. If you feel he needed them or you even just thought they were cute I have no objections. You know I don't want you to have to ask for my permission, right? Especially when it comes to David." he replies and can't keep from smiling as David starts rambling the usual _Mamamama_ and _Dadadada_.

"I know." her soft voice answers.

When their meal is finished he puts the plates in the sink and his wife changes the baby into his pajamas and continues to watch TV in the living room. As he's finished he joins them on the couch. David is almost asleep in his mother's arms as she leans into her husbands and he puts his arm around her.

"You know. I've been thinking about this… thing." he starts.

"Hm?"

"I… I want us to have another baby. I mean, not now, but… Soon."

"What?!"

He can feel her moving away from him and as he meets her eyes he can see tears already slipping down her cheeks and she's trying to hold back from sobbing. She's holding their sleeping son tightly to her chest as she's trying to take in what just happened.

"Don't you remember what happened, El?! I refuse to put myself in that situation again and I don't see that you can blame me for it!" she wheezes and David's starts to fuss in his sleep.

She gets up and walks into their son's room to put him in his crib. There she stops and looks down at the little dark haired miracle they created. Soon she feels a hand on her back and she starts to cry. He makes her turn around and holds her as she lets him know just how fragile she still is. How new this life still is to her and what a sensitive subject he's just touched.

"Honey, I'm sorry. It... I guess it was too early to bring up, but I… I wanted you to know how I feel. I love you, Liv. And I want our family to grow. With time." he whispers and he feels her arms hugging him closer to her body.

She sniffs and takes his hand in hers and lead them both our of the little room and into their own bedroom. She sits down at the edge of their bed and starts to talk.

"I'm sorry. I was just… surprised, I guess. But you know how hard it's been for me, right?" He nods. "All the therapy and physical healing… I don't know, El. I love you and God, I love David, but I'm not sure I'd be able to have another baby. Not like that."

"Honey, when you've been through something like that they monitor you and makes you come in more often. They'll know what's going on and you can even decide a date and a time if you want a doctor to start the delivery."

She smiles sadly "It's not about that. Not much. I just don't wanna take any chances. Nothing's for certain, El."

He's holding her hand and wants to understand. But he can't.

---

He never thought they would, but they made love. Now she's asleep in his arms, seeming peaceful and content. He is, too. After play is the shit when you want to _talk_ since both are relaxed and emotionally available. He knows now, how she feels and he understands. He knows that she can see their family extended, but she's scared, traumatized after the birth of their son. She didn't think he'd understand, but he does. As well as he can. As he knows that with his trust in her (and the other way around) they will get there someday. He knows that.


End file.
